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Run for Office

It’s surprisingly simple to register as a candidate and run for office in Oregon - although far more difficult to gather supporters and win. View
the list of open offices [pdf] at the Secretary of State’s website, and
fill out the form for the office you wish to run for.

Some offices require paying a candidate registration fee, or signatures in lieu of a fee. Find out more about the
requirements for each office.

Serious candidates finance their campaign in order to publicize their candidacies. How your campaign is financed must be reported to the Oregon Elections Division. The information you are required to file depends on your level of expenditures in the calendar year.

Independent candidates rarely win elections, so most candidates for office run through a political party. Some minor parties will place inexperienced candidates on the ballot in seats that would otherwise go unopposed. You can also run for office through a major party, though the requirements are more complex within each party system.